VZCZCXRO3124
RR RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHNH RUEHTRO
DE RUEHGO #0585/01 2040947
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 220947Z JUL 08
FM AMEMBASSY RANGOON
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7946
RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE
RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
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RHHMUNA/CDR USPACOM HONOLULU HI
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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 04 RANGOON 000585 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/MLS, EEB/TPP/ABT/ATP - JANET SPECK 
USDA FOR OSEC AND APHIS 
USDA FOR FAS/DLP/HWETZEL AND FAS/ICD/LAIDIG 
BANGKOK FOR USDA/FAS, ECON OFFICE, USAID 
DEPT PLEASE PASS TO USAID - CHERYL JENNINGS 
PACOM FOR FPA 
TREASURY FOR OASIA:SCHUN 
 
E.O. 12958:N/A 
TAGS: EAGR EAID ETRD ECON PGOV PREL BM
SUBJECT: BURMA: CHALLENGES TO PLANTING RICE IN THE DELTA REMAIN 
 
REF: A) Rangoon 579  B) Rangoon 371  C) Rangoon 331 
 
RANGOON 00000585  001.2 OF 004 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary.  Cyclone Nargis, with its up to 12-foot high 
waves, not only destroyed much of the rice farmland in the Irrawaddy 
Delta, but also washed away farm implements, including seeds, draft 
animals, and plows.  Farmers in the delta have received some 
assistance from the Burmese Government, UN agencies, and NGOs, 
primarily in the form of seeds, power tillers, and water buffalo. 
During a July 8-12 trip to the delta, we observed that while some 
farmers had begun to plow their land and plant rice, not all of the 
land will be planted by August 1, the recommended date for planting 
monsoon crop.  Farmers highlighted several challenges inhibiting 
their ability to plant rice:  lack of diesel for the power tillers; 
insufficient numbers of draft cattle; weak or sick cattle; 
inadequate seed stocks; and lack of salt-resistant rice seeds.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2.  (U) Between July 8-12, a USAID/OFDA officer, USAID/RDMA Health 
officer, Econoff, Poloff, and local staff member traveled to Labutta 
and Ngapudaw Townships in the Irrawaddy Delta.  The team visited ten 
villages - Ye Wei, Zin Ywe Kyi, Sin Chay Yar, Ka Pyo, Gant Eik, Yin 
Dee Lay, and Sa Kyin in Labutta Township and Thaketa, Gwe Chaung, 
Kan Seik in Ngapudaw Township (Ref A). 
 
View from the Rice Bowl 
----------------------- 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Cyclone Nargis, which struck Burma May 2-3, destroyed much 
of the farm land in the Irrawaddy Delta, Burma's largest rice 
producing area.  According to the Food and Agricultural Organization 
(FAO), the storm flooded more than one million acres of rice farm 
land in seven townships in Irrawaddy Division, affecting more than 
one million farmers and day laborers (Ref B).  In addition to the 
loss of usable farm land, farmers also lost farm implements, 
including more than 250,000 water buffalo and draft cattle, 100,000 
plows, and seed stocks.  In the July 10 UN Revised Flash Appeal, the 
FAO requested more than $40 million to rehabilitate affected rice 
farms.  The FAO and Burmese Ministry of Agriculture recommended that 
the latest farmers should plant monsoon crop is August 1, leaving 
little time to rehabilitate farms and provide farmers with necessary 
tools. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) During our trip to the delta, we observed thousands of 
acres of rice paddy in various stages of cultivation.  In the 
northern part of Irrawaddy Division, farmers already plowed their 
fields and were systematically planting seeds.  As we approached the 
storm-affected areas, we saw many rice paddies overrun with grass 
and weeds, collapsed paddy embankments, few water buffalo and draft 
cattle in the fields, and substantially fewer farmers planting rice 
than in previous seasons.  Many of the rice paddies appeared 
unusable in the short-term; farmers were using machetes to cut down 
weeds before they could even start plowing. 
 
¶5.  (SBU)  Despite the appearance of the rice fields, village 
leaders told us that many of the farmers, unlike the fishermen, were 
able to return to the fields to resume their livelihoods after the 
cyclone.  Recent monsoon rains had washed away some of the salt 
water intrusion, making the soil more suitable for rice growing, 
they noted.  Almost all of the village leaders reported that farmers 
would be able to cultivate all of the fields, provided they had the 
necessary seeds and implements.  Most villages predicted they would 
plant seeds by August 1.  Privately, however, they admitted it would 
be a challenge to plant all fields, with most villagers estimating 
they could plant between 50-75 percent of available land.  Villagers 
 
RANGOON 00000585  002.2 OF 004 
 
 
in Kan Seik, the most vulnerable village we visited, admitted that 
they would be unable to plant all 2,000 acres of farmland in the 
village due to lack of seeds and water buffalo for plowing.  At 
best, the farmers could plant 400 acres, although they acknowledged 
that they could realistically plant only 50 acres of rice. 
 
Assistance Provided 
------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) All of the farmers we spoke with indicated that they had 
received some livelihood assistance, usually in the form of seeds 
and farming equipment.  Their accounts demonstrated that 
distribution of assistance varied greatly by village (see chart 
below).  Larger villages, particularly those with trade links, such 
as Gant Eik, Sa Kyin, or Thaketa, received more assistance from a 
wider variety of sources.  Leaders in these villages told us that 
frequent trips to Labutta or Ngapudaw yielded more assistance. 
Thus, the smaller, poorer villages or those located far from a major 
town received less aid because they were unable to make the right 
connections, they commented. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
             Farming Implement Donations 
                 As of July 12, 2008 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
Village        Donated Goods          Donor 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
Ye Wei         Rice Seeds             MinAg 
 
Zin Ywe Kyi    Rice Seeds             Private Dutch 
                                      Company 
               8 Water Buffalo        Min. Livestock 
               1,000 bottles Diesel   Min. Energy 
 
Yin Dee Lay    100 Baskets seeds      MinAg 
 
Sa Kyin        400 baskets seeds      IDE 
               30 Water Buffalo       Min. Livestock 
               20 Tractors            MinAg 
 
Gant Eik       2,000 baskets seeds    MinAg 
               6,000 bottles diesel   Min. Energy 
 
Gwe Chaung     1,500 baskets seeds    MinAg 
               17 tractors            MinAg 
 
Kan Seik       1 tractor              MinAg 
               4 Water Buffalo        Min. Livestock 
               30 gallons diesel      Min. Energy 
               200 baskets seeds      MinAg 
 
Thaketa        30 tractors            MinAg 
               11 tractors            Private company 
               1,500 baskets seeds    MinAg 
               2,000 gallons diesel   Min. Energy 
 
Sin Chay Yar   50 baskets seeds       MinAg 
 
Ka Pyo         6 Water Buffalo        Min. Livestock 
               4 tractors             MinAg 
               172 baskets seeds      MinAg 
--------------------------------------------- -------- 
 
¶7.  (SBU)  According to village leaders, the majority of farming 
 
RANGOON 00000585  003.2 OF 004 
 
 
assistance came from the Ministry of Agriculture and Irrigation and 
the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries (using funding from the 
FAO).  Only a few villages obtained diesel donations from the 
Ministry of Energy.  Farmers in Labutta told us that each farmer 
must travel to the local Ministry of Energy office (located in 
Labutta, Ngapudaw, or Pathein) to petition for diesel; the Ministry 
of Energy would provide each farmer with three gallons per acre. 
Most farmers understood that fuel provisions were donations, 
although several people informed us that the Ministry of Energy may 
demand payment after the monsoon harvest. 
 
Challenges to Planting 
---------------------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) While the farmers and village leaders welcomed the 
donations of seeds and farming implements, almost all of them 
expressed concern that it was not enough (Ref A).  Village leaders 
lamented that the farmers did not have enough seeds, the seeds were 
not salt resistant, or the GOB had provided non-germinating seeds. 
Farmers in Gwe Chaung village complained that the Ministry of 
Agriculture only provided 1,500 baskets of seeds; however, they 
needed 3,400 baskets to plant 1,700 acres.  Instead of buying seeds, 
the village elder planned to petition the Ministry to donate more 
salt-resistant seeds.  Farmers in Kan Seik did not fare as well. 
They received 200 baskets of seeds, none of which had germinated, 
for 2,000 acres.  Land-holding farmers planned to buy seeds from 
nearby village Chaung Wa, where seeds were available for 7,000 kyat 
($6.36) per basket.  However, due to lack of cash, farmers had yet 
to buy seeds and instead were trying their luck by 
broadcast-planting the non-germinating seeds. 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  Farmers also lamented the lack of draft animals to plow 
the fields:  Gant Eik village lost more than 200 buffalo and 6 
tractors in the storm while Gwe Chaung village lost more than 1,000 
buffalo and 20 tractors.  According to the Livestock Breeding 
Veterinary Department (LBVD) Deputy Director Dr. Than Htun, the 
Ministry of Livestock distributed more than 2,200 water buffalo and 
draft cattle to the delta and FAO distributed 600 water buffalo, 
replacing 1.2 percent of lost animals.  Unfortunately, 105 cattle 
and water buffalo died in transit to the delta and 253 caught foot 
and mouth disease, Dr. Than Htun noted.  Farmers also complained 
that some of the donated cattle were too young or too old to work 
the fields or did not understand the local language and thus were 
unusable. 
 
¶10. (SBU)  While the Ministry of Agriculture donated an estimated 
5,700 power tillers to farmers as compensation for lost cattle, many 
of the farmers told us that they either did not know how to use them 
or they lacked diesel to power them.  As diesel costs in the delta 
rise (currently between 6,000-6,500 kyat ($5.45-5.90) a gallon), 
farmers will be unable to procure the necessary fuel, village 
leaders noted.  Even wealthier villages, such as Thaketa, where 
farmers could afford diesel, they preferred to wait because they 
believed that the GOB would donate the fuel.  Farmers would rather 
spend money to feed their families, village leaders told us. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶11.  (SBU) Despite Burmese regime claims that delta farmers have 
successfully returned to the fields to plant the monsoon crop, we 
saw evidence that the yield will likely be significantly lower than 
normal.  Many farmers lack the necessary implements to properly 
cultivate their land and the funds to purchase them.  An infusion of 
 
RANGOON 00000585  004.2 OF 004 
 
 
cash into the hands of farmers could help them purchase diesel, farm 
implements, and germinating seeds.  The August 1 planting deadline 
draws near, so farmers have a dwindling amount of time to purchase 
implements and cultivate the land.  We will travel again to the 
delta to monitor the rice crop in late August, which should provide 
a better picture of actual cultivation. 
 
VILLAROSA